The preferred embodiments of the present invention generally relate to an apparatus for securing the positioning of a medical device.
It is desirable that medical personnel have access to mobile medical devices. This is especially true in hospitals, where patients may be transported between emergency rooms, operating rooms, x-ray facilities, patient rooms, and the like. Thus, it is common for medical devices to have wheel assemblies, such as caster wheels, to allow for easy movement of the device in any direction. However, it is also desirable that once the doctor or nurse has placed the device in its proper location that the device remains secure. For example, if a mobile surgical table moved during a surgical procedure, it could cause the doctor to cut or damage vital organs. Likewise, a mobile X-ray unit must remain securely positioned so that the doctor will obtain the precise view that he or she seeks. To provide such stability, prior medical devices included caster wheels with locks on each wheel in order to restrict or hamper movement. Such locks are attached to each wheel assembly, and the user simply twists or pushes the lock to engage it. However, these prior art locking devices suffer from two flaws.
First, when time is of the essence, doctors or nurses do not have the time to engage (or disengage) the lock on each individual wheel, especially when working in tight confines which may make it difficult to even access the lock. Thus, there has been a long felt need for a braking apparatus that secures the positioning of a mobile medical device that can be quickly and easily engaged. Second, the prior art locking devices require that the locked wheel be in contact with the floor. If the medical device is used on an uneven floor or is placed over a drain or similar depression, one or more of the wheels may be slightly above the floor. In such a situation, the wheel that is off the floor cannot prevent the device from shifting, even if the wheel is locked. Thus, there has also been a long felt need for a braking apparatus that can secure a medical device even if the device is positioned on an uneven surface.
A need exists for an improved braking apparatus for medical devices. The preferred embodiments meet this and other needs that will become more apparent from the following description and appended claims and drawings.